FOLLOWING Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers’ first Federal Budget on Tuesday night, Wannon MP Dan Tehan has savagely assessed the fiscal plan as an ongoing “vendetta against rural and regional Australia”.
Against the backdrop of a slowing global economy, increasing inflation, rising interest rates, a nationwide shortage of skills, no real wage growth and frequent floods - Western Victoria no exception - regional and rural Australians were not only hoping for cost-of-living relief, but also their share of infrastructure funding and investment.
One major casualty for regional Australia was the former government’s Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) regional grants program that supported projects in rural and regional communities, including roads - now abolished.
The Australian Government announced on Monday, that the BBRF would be discontinued, including applicants who had submitted applications under Round 6, between December 2021 and February 2022.
BBRF Round 6 applicants have now been advised they will have to apply for funding under the new government’s new Growing Regions Program.
Two major projects under Southern Grampians Shire Council’s (SGSC) Community Investment Plan that were touted for funding under the Coalition’s BBRF, were the Volcanic Trail Masterplan and the new Hamilton Botanic Gardens Play Space.
Former SGSC mayor, Bruach Colliton, new mayor, David Robertson, new deputy mayor, Helen Henry and chief executive, Tony Doyle travelled to Parliament House earlier this year to advocate their ‘big ticket’ projects to the new government, they said were vital to the sustainability of the Southern Grampians region.
Roads that were budgeted to be upgraded under the former government, announced by Mr Tehan in May 2022, included Chatsworth-Woorndoo Road - part of a $15 million investment split between the Moyne Shire and SGSC.
Moyne Shire mayor, Ian Smith said at the time, “without Federal Funding, these roads wouldn’t get done”.
While the $11.1 million committed to improving this road was legislated, other projects, including $3.6 million in road projects in Moyne were now in doubt.
Also in question, $3.94m for road projects in SGSC including Nareen Road at Nareen, Hamilton-Chatsworth Road near Woodhouse, Caramut-Glenthompson Road in Glenthompson, and Gallie Road and Dens Hill Road at Coleraine.
SGSC wouldn’t comment on the major projects that were flagged for BBRF funding, nor the aforementioned SGSC local roads that would have been funded under a re-elected Coalition.
Mr Tehan said the new government had “slashed” infrastructure funding for regional and rural Australia and instead were prioritising “more public servants for Canberra”.
